Factors influencing ‘burn‐out’ in newly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists: A cross‐cultural, critical review of the literature

Abstract

Mental health problems have been established as one of the leading causes of the global burden of disease. Approximately a quarter of all people worldwide will experience a mental disorder during their lifetime. With depression and anxiety becoming the leading causes of mental ill health globally, the numbers of people reporting mental health complaints are set to grow. The dramatic increase in reporting and diagnosis of mental health disorders has been in parallel to a decline in the ability to cope with mental health symptoms and a rise in the incidence of self‐harm and suicidal ideation. While mental health assessment and diagnoses are usually the responsibility of general practitioners (family doctors) or psychiatrists, the frontline provision of mental health care is often delegated to counsellors and psychotherapists. Publicly funded counselling and psychotherapy services vary across the globe, but are commonly under‐resourced and lacking in adequate funding. This may lead to insufficient clinical supervision and compressed time to complete continuing professional development, which are both vital for new counsellors and psychotherapists to feel confident in providing care, and to learn new skills. Newly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists may also experience emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion or ‘burn‐out’. This position paper aims to critically appraise available cross‐cultural literature on the experiences of ‘burn‐out’ by newly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists, globally. Finally, we make recommendations for how best to support the mental health and psychological well‐being of newly qualified practitioners.

Psychotherapist Trainees’ Quality of Life: Patterns and Correlates

“…Of note, a few studies in the review also identified dispositional risk factors for burnout, such as neuroticism, perfectionism, low agreeableness, and low extraversion. A third critical review underlined the particular needs of newly qualified counselors and psychotherapists, such as adequate mentoring and supervision, to counter work-related stresses like professional self-doubt and vicarious traumatization which may predispose to burnout ( Davies et al, 2021 ).…”